Toy testers wiggle and giggle as they make sure the newest toys of the season are in working order.

It’s a happy holiday scene – but wait. Everyone is so busy getting ready for Christmas they don’t notice Santa himself is gone.

That’s right, Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas has been kidnapped and Det. Red Mistletoe is enlisted to solve the mystery and save Santa and Christmas.

Coon Rapids High School students present “Just in the Nick of Time! (A Detective Red Mistletoe Mystery),” a child-sized play fit for the youngest theater-goers and set on the Cardinal stage 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Dec. 19 for District 11 elementary school students.

A public performance takes place that evening at 6:30 p.m. and parents sometimes bring their youngsters already dressed in pajamas so that they can go straight from the ride home into bed.

“The holiday play for elementary students is a 13-year tradition at CRHS,” said Director Karla Haij. “The show is intended to appeal to the young and those who remember vividly what it was like to be young. Fun for all.”

Tickets (available at the door) are $5 for adults; $3 for students and seniors; children under five years old are free.

Coon Rapids High School is located at 2340 Northdale Blvd., Coon Rapids. For more information, call 763-506-7302.